QLD may not come to the NEG party

The Queensland government has warned they won’t sign the NEG if it undermines the state’s ambitious renewable energy target.

The QLD state energy minister Anthony Lynham, told Fairfax Media that backing for the NEG hinges on whether Queensland’s target of making 50% of its electricity renewable by 2030 will not be affected.

“That for us is the deal breaker,” Dr Lynham said. “We are looking at it very carefully.”

Dr Lynham said his government had also held two major roundtables with key stakeholders – from environmental groups, the resources and renewable energy industries – that raised other concerns about the plan.

These include the transparency of the registry the Turnbull government wants to set up to gather information on the emissions intensity of electricity generated. Stakeholders wanted third-party access to help participants in the market.

The government and its appointed Energy Security Board this week released their final design papers to the states and territories on a policy that aims to cut emissions from the power sector while lowering electricity prices and bolstering the reliability of the grid.

Under the proposed NEG, the electricity sector would track Australia’s overall carbon reduction plan – at the lower end of the 26-28% cut on 2005 levels by 2030 – as pledged at Paris.

Lynham told Fairfax Media the August 10 deadline was unlikely to amount to the final sign-off of the scheme adding QLD would need to see the legislation planned for the Federal Parliament before it could give its final support or otherwise.